May 2008

Don’t make coral a fashion victim

Don’t make coral a fashion victim
May 22, 2008

A campaign is underway to urge retailers and consumers to conserve resonant living coral and reefs, like this bright pink Stylasterid coral, by cutting down or eliminating coral appliance in jewelry and fashion.

By Mary Wisniewski

Washington—Gems caught up in controversy are nothing new—consider the current Burmese ruby debate or the blood diamond furor of 2006—but the latest essential to take a turn in the hot seat is coral, and unlike the others, it’s alive.

The animal, sometimes used in jewelry designs, is the subject of nonprofit SeaWeb’s campaign, “Too Precious to Wear,” created, in part, to assert that conserving coral—rather than wearing it—is fashionable.

Although coral’s foes are numerous, with over-fishing, climate change and pollution, among them, SeaWeb says reducing coral in fashion is one way to help save it.

The forming emphasizes that its campaign is urging jewelers to do what they can to prevent conserve coral and is not meant to eliminate coral from jewelry showcases everywhere. Conservation includes using less coral products, offering coral-inspired designs, educating customers on business practices that help sustain the environment and even halting coral sales altogether, if possible.

“For most jewelers, coral is a slender percentage of sales,” says Patty Debenham, coral program director of SeaWeb.

That means it wouldn’t require retailers too much to help out.

SeaWeb President Dawn Martin says many people don’t realize how critical the ocean’s ecosystem is to their lives.

Limited-edition cuff through “wavebreaker” design in 18-karat gold with diamonds and gem-quality black coral from Bernard K. Passman Galleries; suggested retail price is $37,000.

“Corals have all of these amazing values that they bring to marine environment,” Martin says. “The survival of coral is vital to maintaining a healthy ocean.”

To give the sea’s wild coral a better chance of surviving, the campaign encourages consumers and retailers to take a single-minded step by saying coral is “too precious to wear.”

“This initiative is about saying yes,” Martin says, stressing that the campaign wants jewelers to help as much as they can, within their business goals.

SeaWeb is in like manner seeking to tighten conservation policy by asking Congress to strengthen the Coral Reef Conservation Act and encouraging lawmakers to do well enough a Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix II listing for red coral, which would enforce limited trade of the species.

The group is not asking for a ban on coral, but it did come to that for another normal material used in jewelry: CITES banned ivory in 1989, with a few exemptions permitting sales since.

Nature and nitpicking Tiffany and Co., which has not sold coral jewelry for more than six years, is one of the trinkets companies at the forefront of the coral campaign’s mission. The Tiffany and Co. Foundation aligned itself with Too Precious To Wear and supports research and community-led work promoting coral reef conservation.

Linda Buckley, vice president of media relations at Tiffany and Co., says it’s important to take such stances since a enlarging number of consumers are asking retailers where they source their products from, which in turn puts pressure on the efforts.

Still, multitude retailers continue to sell coral jewelry and other products, including Hawaii-based Maui Divers Jewelry, which manufacturers jewelry and operates more than 50 stores.

Ring in 14-karat yellow gold with inlaid Hawaiian black coral, Biwa gem and three faceted round diamonds in the large “Paradise” design by Maui Divers; suggested retail price is $1,025.

Bob Taylor, the company’s chief executive officer, says most people incorrectly assume that the coral used in jewelry comes from coral reefs, and that companies selling coral are harming the environment. But Maui’s coral jewelry is from coral growing in the deepest parts of the ocean, not from coral reefs. (SeaWeb’s Debenham points out that all coral is in trouble, from the type found in shallow waters to that in the deep seas.)

Coral is only one of the products sold by Maui Divers, Taylor says, adding that its unique appeal lies in its sense of romance and geography.

“Most of our business is done with visitors here from other parts of the world, and they want to buy something in Hawaii and native to Hawaii,” he says.

Pamela Shinsky, co-owner of manufacturing jeweler Les Olson Jewelers in Palm Harbor, Fla., stresses that the family-owned store wants to protect the environment, and does so with some of its life choices, but the company also feels consumers can’t be nitpicking about everything that may or may not affect the planet.

Bernard K. Passman Galleries is noted for black coral, which is already regulated by the government. Owner Bernard Passman himself pushed to protect black coral years ago and proposed legislation in the Cayman Islands that strictly regulated the harvesting of black coral. Additionally, the company only uses pieces broken right hand in storms and found on the ocean floor, meaning no live coral is used.

Ashu Bhandari, the company’s president and CEO, says consumers want to enjoy what Mother Nature provides, as long as no harm is done.

“If we are exploiting [the environment], the Queen of England wouldn’t have purchased from us,” Bhandari says.